One kiss lasts a moment. But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime.One boy. One girl. A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade. A bond that neither time nor distance can break. A bond that will last forever. Or so they believe.When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation?Rune’s heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. When he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.A stand-alone young adult tearjerker romance, recommended for ages fourteen and up.

Tillie Cole is a new-to-me author. I have heard a lot of great things about her books and A Thousand Boy Kisses is one of them. The cover is so beautiful as well as the title. I must say though that I wasn’t prepared for its intensity and heaviness. The moment I started it, I knew it would be a challenging book to read because of its melancholy tone. It sure was. The story was more poignant than I’ve expected.

“Maybe we’re like a cherry blossom, Rune. Like shooting stars. Maybe we loved too much too young and burned so bright that we had to fade out.”

Rune Erik Kristiansen and Poppy Litchfield have been best of friends since they were kids. Their friendship started when Rune and his family left their roots in Norway and started their lives in the U.S. He didn’t want to live in the new country where it required him to speak English and adapt to the culture, but when he met the beautiful and bubbly child Poppy, his feelings changed. The two of them grew up and somehow developed a much deeper relationship as the year went by. Poppy, whose grandmother passed away, grew up with a goal in life to collect a thousand boy kisses. It’s an idea left by her grandma to her. Each time she gets a kiss from her special boy, the details should be written in a pink heart and be placed in a jar. The boy kisses, of course, were given by Rune.

“It’s okay to laugh. It’s okay to smile. It’s okay to feel happy. Or what’s the point in life?”

This book is a real heartbreaker. It actually reminded me of those books I’ve read in the past that made me cry a river (I won’t mention any title because it would be a spoiler). I was able to connect with the story. However, I failed to appreciate it even more because of its predictability. I knew exactly what’s about to come even before the ‘twist’ in the early part of the book happened. I wasn’t surprised when Poppy finally revealed why she went away and didn’t communicate with Rune anymore.

Also, lots and lots of cheese were thrown everywhere. I couldn’t even count the number of sappy dialogues and scenes. For me, they are a little bit exaggerated. Not to mention how their conversations slowly became repetitive each chapter.

Despite the flaws I’ve mentioned, the ending somehow moved me. I was blown away by the things that happened. Of course I knew at the back of my mind that their story would end that way, but still, I wasn’t prepared for it. There was still a small part of me that longed for a different ending. A twist, perhaps. A Thousand Boy Kisses, as a whole, was a highly emotional YA love story. It’s a book that touches the soul and makes you realize a lot of things in life. If you love heavy, angsty, and heartbreaking books, then this book is the one that you should devour. Just prepare lots and lots of tissues. You will really need them.

Only instead of Darren Cole becoming her one-night stand, he taunts her with a challenge. Then while she’s trying to best him at his own game, he turns out to be the last thing she’s prepared for: someone she wants to keep.

Which means all he can ever be…is a friend.

Darren Cole never allows a girl to get close—not close enough to matter.

Then storms in Kiki Michaelson, a beautiful, fearless temptation that rocks his world off-balance. But he fights their attraction, unwilling to gamble something physical with their close ties. Until the passionate sculptor exposes her heart and breaks his wide open.

In that moment it becomes clear: she could never be just a friend.

Sometimes what you run from…is exactly what you need.

***HEARTBREAKER is a standalone, full-length new adult romance told in dual POV. Due to mature themes and adult language, this book is for those 18 and older.***

First off, I didn’t know this is a spin-off and I think I could’ve enjoyed Heartbreaker more if I’ve read the previous series first. Anyways, the characters, the storyline, the writing style… they are all good! My only real (and perhaps biggest) concern is that there were so many things that confused me. The characters kept mentioning about these things and that but I found myself having no such clue what they’re all talking about.

Despite my problem though, it wasn’t difficult for me to like the main characters Kiki Michaelson and Darren Cole. They have real and special connection. And how can one not praise their chemistry that is so apparent from the first page to the last?

And for someone like me who has a penchant for angst-driven love stories, I was sold by how their romance was coated with a little bit of drama and (just mild) family conflicts. Not to mention the sweet slow burn of their romantic development which just added a little spice to the story. And oh, did I mention that Darren Cole is such a sweetheart? He’s one responsible and *sigh boyfriend material guy. Despite his baggage, he didn’t set Kiki aside. She’s one of the persons that always come first, and that’s just something.

Trust and relationship issues… these are things that very much highlight Heartbreaker. I really do think, despite the issue that I mentioned, that it is still a lovable and possibly an all-consuming romance book as a whole.

“Whenever I care too much about something-” I sucked in a shaking breath– “it gets ripped away.”

“I know.” His tone quieted. “Me too.”

“So… how do we get past that?”

He trailed his fingers along my jaw, then cupped the side of my face with his hand. “We fight harder to keep what we want.”

After surviving being hunted by Julius, Brayden and Ariel settle into their married life. Ariel is determined to find the other High Witches to make sure they’re alright. But there’s something going on with her pregnancy, something unusual, and she needs to find out what.

In the meantime, Hallie, an eighteen-year-old witch, is being pursued by Nicholas, a strange young man who knows about her past. What does Nicholas want with Hallie, and how are they both connected to Ariel? And what about Sean, the man Hallie loves? Will they end up together, or will Nicholas’ plan hurt all of them? The two witches will need to work hard to save those they love, and each other.

There’s a bit of an improvement in this second sequel of the series. Like the first book High Witch, Witch Emerging is a quick and easy fantasy read that you can finish in one or two sittings. This time, there are additional important characters to read about.

The storyline of the book expands when Brayden and Ariel, now a married coupe and are expecting a child, are on a quest to find the other existing High Witch in order to protect her against possible threats. However, it’s difficult to trace her when the baby in Ariel’s womb is exhibiting some strange power that troubles them. Meanwhile, the other High Witch known as Hallie is being pursued by a warlock named Nicholas who is on a mission of revenge.

There were things that I liked in this book including the writing of the author which apparently improved. The characters were given much depth and there was also enough “creep factor” that kind of made my hair raise on the back of my neck. (I started reading this witch book at 2AM so you can basically imagine the freaky feeling I’ve had.)

“Watch out for the little witch, with golden hair on her head. She’ll say your name and your fingers will twitch, and then you’ll end up dead.”

I wasn’t fully convinced by the action in this book, though. For me, that aspect fell short. I was looking for a real elaboration of action scenes, like how the casting of spells are done, how they fight an enemy using their power, etc. And I’m not just talking about the descriptions via characters’ dialogues. I want more showing and less talking.

All in all, it was a good sequel. It was better than the first book for sure. Although there were elements that were missing here, a few things however, stood out. For fans of witch and fantasy books, I recommend you to check this series out. 🙂

(Thank you to the author Mona Hanna for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!)